5 Reasons to Hunt Down Your Health Records

Of all the information out there in our digital lives, from photos to tweets to text messages, it’s our health records that contain the most vital information of all. The information that could mean life or death in an emergency. The historical information that can lead a physician to the correct diagnosis. The information that can guide us on our journey to optimal wellness and disease prevention.

And yet for many of us, our health history is in disarray. We’ve moved to new cities, changed doctors and changed health insurance plans many times over. We’ve lost health records when our computer hard drive died or when the paper records at home got lost in the shuffle.

At Heads Up Health, we’ve set out to solve this problem by giving you a secure space to centralize all of your vital health data. If you’re ready to get started, click the button below to visit our home page and create your account. Or continue reading for our top reasons to hunt down your health records and build your own centralized portfolio.

Top five reasons to hunt down your health records

1. The onus is on the you – the patient. Unfortunately our health care system still thinks it’s 1965 and we all live in the same house with the white picket fence and go to the same doctor or health system until the day we die. If you’ve ever tried to transfer your health records from one facility to another, you know how painful this can be.

The reality is that for most of us, the days of the traditional doctor-patient relationship are gone. We move to new cities, change insurance plans and change doctors. We consult with physicians on Skype and through apps on our mobile phone like Doctor on Demand. We seek health advice from conventional MD’s, functional medicine doctors, nutritionists, naturopaths, Google and our favorite health related groups on FaceBook.

Centralize medical records – request copies from your doctor.

In this new world, the onus is on us – the patient – to be in control of our health information. We need tools to manage this effectively – which is where Heads Up Health can help.

2. Empower yourself. Studies have shown that 79 percent of people say online access has a positive impact of their knowledge of their health. Do this and you’ll feel prepared to make changes when needed — to lower cholesterol, for example, if you know elevated cholesterol runs in your family.

Centralize medical records – the onus is on the patient!

3. Spot mistakes and get them fixed. By getting your health records and taking the time to review them, you’re looking out for number one. There have been numerous reports of people being wrongly diagnosed, like Trisha Torrey, founder of the Alliance for Professional Health Advocates. Torrey was wrongly diagnosed with cancer and because of due diligence on her part, she was able to avoid getting unnecessary chemotherapy treatments.

Heads Up Health enables you to share your health records with your family if needed.

4. Be prepared for an emergency. You think that if you wipe out on your scooter while on vacation that your primary care physician (PCP) is going to drop everything and send your health records over to the emergency room you’re at? Maybe, but maybe not. The Privacy Rule says that your provider must share your health records with you or a personal representative. They’re not obligated to share it with other providers or plans. Meaning: if you end up in a sticky situation where say, you need your records from your PCP now, and your PCP’s office is closed for the weekend, you’re outta luck with getting your records quickly. If you already have them it’s not a problem.

Centralize medical records – be prepared for the unexpexted

5. Because you can. U.S laws are designed to empower the patient. The Affordable Care Act wants you proactively involved in your health care. Under other countries’ laws, it’s not always that easy. For example, in Slovakia, patients have no direct access to the “result of the examinations of diagnostic and treatment components. But, it can be “made available to the patient by the health professional who requested the medical examination or the treatment.” Think about that: some people have to jump through some serious hoops to get access to get something that you legally already have the right to. You have rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Use them.

How to Get Started

Make a list of past doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals who may have copies of your health history.

If the doctor or health system is in the Heads Up Health database, you can electronically connect this medical facility and we will automatically synchronize your health data. Check out this video tutorial for a “how-to” on electronically connecting your medical facility.

For facilities we can’t connect to automatically, contact the doctor or facility and request copies of your medical records.

Upload these documents into your Heads Up profile. You can also upload any documents you have at home. We give you an encrypted cloud storage to ensure your records are accessible any time you need them. Check out this video tutorial on uploading your documents.

If all of this sounds like a major pain in the ass, let our Concierge Service do all of the work for you

Heads Up Health empowers patients to collect their health records and keep them in one spot. Sign up today to get started. Or, feel free to contact us with any questions.

Meta

Transform Your Health!

Join our mailing list to receive our latest on data-driven health!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site you automatically consent to our Privacy and Cookie Policy.I ConsentView Privacy & Cookie Policy